Worli jogger accident: Blood report of Sumer Merchant reveals high alcohol content

After the deadly incident, Merchant, a Tardeo resident, in his statement to the police claimed that he had partied with friends to celebrate his return from a trip to the US, wherein his friends had consumed alcohol but he had refrained. However, his blood report says otherwise

Mumbai: Legal problems deepen for 23-year-old Sumer Merchant, who was booked for running over 58-year-old jogger Rajalakshmi Vijay Ramakrishnan at Worli Seaface, on March 19. Merchant’s blood examination report reveals that he was under the influence of alcohol.

The alcohol content in Sumer Merchant’s blood report was 137 mg per 100 ml. (HT PHOTO)

The alcohol content in his blood report was 137 mg per 100 ml.

According to the Motor Vehicles Act, the permissible limit is 30 mg per 100 ml. The police have also claimed in the chargesheet filed against Merchant that he was driving the car at the speed of 90 to 100 km per hour.

After the deadly incident, Merchant, a Tardeo resident, in his statement to the police claimed that he had partied with friends to celebrate his return from a trip to the US, wherein his friends had consumed alcohol but he had refrained. However, his blood report says otherwise.

The car, driven by Merchant, had hit Rajalakshmi who was flung several feet away and died on the spot. Merchant was later arrested.

In his statement, he said that his cousin Dhruv Aggrawal and office colleague Riya Bhatia and others had gone to a club in Kamala Mills at 10:30pm. Later, when the club closed at 1:30am, all his friends decided to go to his house as his parents had gone on holiday.

He further claimed that since he had not slept properly he did not drink alcohol but his friends consumed alcohol at the club and later at his house. He also said that at around 5:30am he had gone to drop his friends and Druv to their house when the incident happened.

Riya Bhatia who was also in the car and was sitting behind the driver’s seat, in her statement claimed that Dhruv sat in the front seat next to Merchant and was sleeping. She claimed that Merchant was driving at such speeds that she was not able to see anything from the window. She claimed that Merchant insisted on dropping her home even when she pleaded that he had not slept and she was willing to take a cab.

The police claimed that the car was very much in speed and Merchant was under the influence of alcohol. However, his cousin who also was in the car was found not under the influence of alcohol.

Sylvester Pereira and Kunal Rumde who had parked their car on the opposite side of the road came to rescue at the accident spot. They claimed that the car was in speed and Merchant looked inebriated. They further claimed that when Merchant saw that the lady was hit severely, he asked his friends to leave. However, the two managed to stop them and called the police and ambulance.